Latest news with #MidsummerClassic
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
All-Star Game: MLB, Braves announce $4 million for community projects in metro Atlanta
The Atlanta Braves will host the 2025 MLB All-Star Game in just a few weeks at Truist Park. But the legacy the Braves and MLB want to leave off the field will be just as important as the All Stars on the field. Advertisement [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] MLB and the Atlanta Braves Foundation announced on Wednesday that they will invest $4 million into community projects throughout metro Atlanta. Danielle Bedasse, the Braves vice president for community affairs and Braves foundation executive director, said the Braves worked closely with MLB to select the projects. 'Obviously the Midsummer Classic allows us to celebrate baseball in some many different ways,' Bedasse told Channel 2. 'But the reality is we want to able to build opportunities for fans across the region and make sure that everybody feels connected to our sport.' Advertisement The foundation and MLB's social responsibility division picked the following five legacy projects: Rhyne Park Softball Complex field renovations : New turf fields, batting cages and more will be installed in partnership with Cobb PARKS. Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta Barksdale Baseball Field Renovation : The baseball fields will be refurbished with repairs to the dugout and scoreboard, new fencing and new lights installed in Rockdale County. Sensory Space at Truist Park: An area for fans with neurodivergent and sensory needs will open during All-Star week. Leila Valley Community Farm : A new farm, garden and orchard in southeast Atlanta will provide tens of thousands of pounds of fresh produce to Atlanta Housing residents. Camp Southern Ground Warrior Fitness Trailer: Partnering with Zac Brown, Camp Southern Ground helps veterans with physical and mental health and building a community as they transition from service to civilian life in Fayette County. April Brown, MLB's senior vice president of social responsibility, said these projects highlight the league's committee to community. 'The work that happens off the field is just as important to us. That is where we can touch families, individuals and spread the power of baseball,' Brown told Channel 2. MLB started the All-Star Legacy initiative in 1997 and have donated over $120 million to community projects. Brown said the Braves have been 'an amazing partner' and aligned with their vision for this year's All-Star Legacy program. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers 2, Rockies 1: One pitch spoils Dollander's gem
It was a true Wild West duel in Arlington tonight, and the Rockies nearly won. But, as we know, 'close only counts in horseshoes' and the Rockies, unfortunately, play baseball and not horseshoes and they fell 2-1 in Warren Schaeffer's managerial debut. Dealin' Dollander Chase Dollander had a special night, even if it ended on a sour note. The rookie right-hander absolutely cruised through five innings, He gave up a leadoff walk to Evan Carter, but then sent down 15-straight Rangers on (##) pitches before allowing another walk to Tucker Barnhart in the sixth. That fell just short of Germán Márquez's rookie outing of 16-straight back in 2017 against the Washington Nationals. Advertisement Ezequiel Duran then grounded into a force out at second (Barnhart) and Carter struck out swinging on four pitches, but the extra baserunner proved costly as Wyatt Langford hit a two-run homer to put the Rangers up 2-1. Dollander then walked Joc Pederson, but then struck out Adolis García on three-straight pitches up in the zone (two fastballs and a curveball). In total, Dollander pitched six innings, allowing two runs on just the one hit with seven strikeouts and three walks. He three 85 pitches, 49 for strikes. Hunter is good, man After falling a single short of the cycle yesterday, Hunter Goodman kept up his hot streak in today's game. In the second inning, he got that elusive single to lead off the inning and was balked over by Tyler Mahle (only the fourth balk in his career!). Goodman then rounded home after Nick Martini singled to right to put the Rockies up 1-0. They might not have won Schaeffer's managerial debut, but they did score first! Advertisement He struck out swinging in the fourth, but doubled in the seventh and was knocked to third by a Sean Bouchard flyout. In total, Goodman went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout (the only Rockie to record multiple hits) and continued his five-game hitting streak. Might the youngster be one to watch for the Midsummer Classic in July? So close, and yet so far! As was said in Ted Lasso, 'it's the hope that kills you.' The Rockies had a chance to take back the game in the ninth, but unfortunately squandered it. To kick things off, Ryan McMahon singled on a deflected line drive to reach base first. Luke Jackson, who was hit by the pitch on the hand, was then lifted in favor of Jacob Webb. Goodman grounded into a force out at second, so he was then the man on first base instead of McMahon. Michael Toglia singled to advance Goodman, and then was replaced by pinch runner Owen Miller. Bouchard then walked to load the bases, but Kyle Farmer grounded into a double play to end the threat and the game. Advertisement Sure, they lost again and fall to 7-34 on the season, but it had more energy to it than we've seen recently. Even when they were down after the Langford homer, it didn't feel quite as dire. We'll see how they play tomorrow. Up Next The Rockies and Rangers will do-si-do a second time tomorrow. Kyle Freeland (0-5, 5.41 ERA) will face Rangers righty Jack Leiter (2-2, 5.09 ERA). First pitch is at 6:05pm MT. See you then! More from
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals' Donovan Projected to Start for NL All-Star Team
As the month of May begins, so too do discussions about the MLB All-Star Game. We're still about two and a half months away from this year's game, which will take place on July 15 in Atlanta, but Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicts that Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan will start for the National League in this year's Midsummer Classic. With a slash line of .333/.386/.483 through 31 games, Donovan is off to a scorching-hot start. In addition to predicting Donovan to start in the all-star game, Reuter also recently ranked him as the best second baseman in baseball for 2025. Reuter included starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore as one of his 'worthy snubs', but Donovan was the lone Cardinal on his projected roster. Advertisement While he's primarily a second baseman, Donovan is a true utility man. He's played six different positions in his MLB career and is a two-time utility gold glove award finalist, winning the first edition of the award in 2022. This season, he's filled in at shortstop while Masyn Winn was injured and has also spent 61 innings in the outfield. Cardinals second baseman Brendan DonovanPaul Rutherford-Imagn Images On the offensive side, Donovan leads all qualified Cardinals hitters in hits, doubles, batting average and slugging percentage, among other categories. His 40 hits are tied for a National League-best. Donovan, who is in his fourth MLB season, finished third in rookie of the year voting in 2022. He is yet to make an all-star appearance. If selected as a starter, Donovan would be the first Cardinal second baseman to start in an all-star game since Tom Herr in 1985. Advertisement Related: Cardinals' Liberatore Leading MLB in Important Category Related: Cardinals Provide Encouraging Update on Rising Young Slugger
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Concerns Mounting About Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt Amid Strange Start
With a .364 average and 0.6 bWAR over his first 110 plate appearances, veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been everything the New York Yankees expected. Or, at least, he's been almost everything. Advertisement Goldschmidt has displayed a surprising lack of power during his torrid start, entering Sunday's doubleheader with only a single home run. The five-time Silver Slugger hasn't gone deep since March 29, the Yankees' second game of the season. 'I just try to hit the ball and just kind of let it do what it's going to do,' Goldschmidt told the New York Post. New York Yankees first baseman Paul GoldschmidtRick Osentoski-Imagn Images 'But yeah, it's been a little bit different, results-wise,' the 2022 NL MVP added, 'but I haven't really tried to do anything different.' Interestingly, Goldschmidt's 49 home runs in March/April games are his fewest of any month, only trailing the 50 he's hit during September/October games. He tallied just two homers in last year's first month-plus before crushing five in May. Advertisement Still, the power outage is nothing new for Goldschmidt, whose 22 home runs last year marked his lowest over a full season since 2016. He's never gone an entire month without homering, though he's now only four games from making that a reality. None of this is to say Goldschmidt has been disappointing. In fact, Outside of MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge, only outfielder Trent Grisham and designated hitter Ben Rice join Goldschmidt in the reliable bat category. However, the Yankees need Goldschmidt to regain his home run stroke, especially amid the club's recent 9-9 stretch. Although Austin Wells, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Anthony Volpe have combined for 15 homers, they're also strikeout-prone hitters who struggle to reach base. Advertisement Goldschmidt nonetheless remains on pace to reach his eighth All-Star Game. At his current rate, though, he may not have double-digit homers by the Midsummer Classic. Related: Yankees Fans Waving White Flag on Former Top Prospect Related: Aaron Boone Makes Major Lineup Decision Before Latest Yankees Loss
USA Today
04-03-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
With Pete Rose death and Donald Trump's endorsement, all bets are off for MLB
With Pete Rose death and Donald Trump's endorsement, all bets are off for MLB | Opinion Show Caption Hide Caption Should Pete Rose be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame posthumously? USA Today MLB reporter Steve Gardner shares his thoughts on whether or not Pete Rose should be inducted into the Hall of Fame following his death. Sports Seriously Prior to his death in September, Pete Rose had petitioned Major League Baseball several times through the years to consider his reinstatement following the lifetime ban he received in 1989 for gambling on baseball. The petitions were summarily denied – or ignored – each and every time. But the confluence of the MLB hit-king's passing and Friday's endorsement from President Donald Trump could be the factors that dramatically change the equation. Trump's affinity for Rose and desire to see him get into the Baseball Hall of Fame is nothing new. Back in 2018, USA TODAY Sports found that Trump had mentioned Rose in at least 18 tweets, all calling for "Charlie Hustle" to be honored in Cooperstown. For good measure, Trump said he plans to pardon Rose, who spent several months in jail after pleading guilty to tax evasion in 1990. While the president may not have a grasp on the Baseball Hall of Fame process, stating in his Truth Social post that MLB itself "didn't have the courage or decency" to induct Rose (the Hall of Fame handles voting, and Rose has never appeared on a ballot), the bureaucratic details aren't the point. In the months since Trump's second election victory, some of America's largest companies have fallen in line for the incoming administration by doing things like dropping diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. With public pressure from Trump, will commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB follow suit? Caught in the unblinking eye? MLB hasn't been in Trump World's best graces, largely stemming from the league's decision to yank the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta after Georgia passed controversial new voting laws. A number of Republican senators made threats to review the league's century-old antitrust exemption, a political cudgel that has actually been used in a bipartisan manner. This year's Midsummer Classic is back in Atlanta, and we'll surely see some furor from the Trump-adjacents who were so mad four years ago. Manfred may not have the appetite to deal with the Rose issue during his tenure, but does he really want his league anywhere near Trump's crosshairs for the next few years? MLB could take a wait-and-see approach on Rose in the weeks and months to come, but the demands aren't going to stop. The president has been beating the drum for decades about this, and when he brings it up again, there's a real risk that the Trump administration would consider taking punitive action against MLB if the league doesn't abide. In his first term, you could largely count on Trump's people forgetting to follow through on plans and threats, but they've been decidedly more aggressive in executing what he wants in the weeks since his inauguration. ESPN reported Saturday that Rose's family had filed a new petition on Jan. 8 to MLB to have him posthumously removed from ineligible list and had met with Manfred in the commissioner's office in December. Rose's lawyer Jeffrey Lenkov told ESPN that he had not "actively sought" the White House's assistance but that when Trump "gets passionate about an issue, POTUS stands behind it… He was very passionate about Pete. Pete would have appreciated the president's commitment to him." What is a 'lifetime ban' anyway? It's undeniable that Rose's death ushered in an uncharted new chapter of this 35-year saga. Part of the intrigue here is the ambiguity surrounding the league's definition of a "lifetime ban." Did the punishment expire with Rose? While Manfred and MLB may not want to accept Rose's petition on its merits, the league has this exit hatch that offers some plausible deniability. If Manfred decides that Rose's time on the "permanently ineligible" list ended when he died, that would kick the can to the Baseball Hall of Fame, which, of course, instituted a rule in 1991 that banned those on the "permanently ineligible" list from being inducted. Maybe it's an issue the next commissioner wants to take up after Manfred steps aside for the 2029 season? But can MLB make it that long without succumbing to a potential pressure campaign led by the most powerful man in the world? Either way, everything we thought we knew about the Pete Rose affair has changed in the past few months. And fans should be taking this round of discourse far more seriously. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
